Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science SAKURA Science High School Program Activity Report 2017 Japan Science and Technology Agency Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science Promotion Office 5-3 Yonbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8666 Tel: 03-5214-8996 Email: [email protected] SAKURA Science Plan HP March 2018 About the SAKURA Science High School Program (SSHP) Number of invitees by country/region in FY2017 (number of individuals) The SAKURA Science High School Area Country/Region Students Leaders Total Program (SSHP) was launched in 2014 China 272 52 324 as a part of the Japan-Asia Youth Republic of Korea 35 8 43 Exchange Program in Science (SAKURA East Asia Mongolia 10 2 12 Exchange Program in Science) operated by the Japan Science and Taiwan 30 6 36 Technology Agency (JST). It initially Cambodia 10 2 12 targeted 14 countries and regions. Indonesia 50 10 60 Laos 10 2 12 The SSHP invites promising high school Malaysia 30 6 36 students (and supervisors) from Asia Southeast Myanmar 30 6 36 and elsewhere to Japan to participate Asia Philippines 20 5 25 in an exchange program specially Singapore 10 2 12 planned by JST. The students take part Thailand 40 8 48 in special classes taught by top East Timor 5 1 6 scientists in Japan (including Nobel Viet Nam 30 6 36 laureates), visit prominent universities Bangladesh 20 3 23 and research facilities, interact with Japanese high school students, and Bhutan 5 1 6 experience Japanese culture. The India 215 44 259 program aims to enhance the visiting Southwest Maldives 5 1 6 high school students′ interest in Asia Brunei 10 2 12 science and technology in Japan, and Nepal 10 2 12 advance their development as talented Pakistan 19 4 23 overseas human resources that are Sri Lanka 10 2 12 required by Japan’s universities, Kazakhstan 9 2 11 research institutions, and companies. Kyrgyzstan 10 2 12 Doing so, the program seeks to Central Asia Tajikistan 10 2 12 contribute to the development of Turkmenistan 10 2 12 science and technology globally. Uzbekistan 10 2 12 Fiji 5 1 6 Marshall Islands 5 1 6 FY2017 High School Program Micronesia 5 1 6 FY2017 SSHP invited a total of 1,178 Pacific Palau 5 1 6 islands outstanding high school students and Papua New Guinea 5 1 6 supervisors to Japan from 35 countries Samoa 5 1 6 and regions* in Asia and Pacific islands. Solomon Islands 5 1 6 The students were divided into 10 groups Tonga 5 1 6 and participated in specially planned diverse programs over the course of 7 Other Colombia* 16 4 20 days and 6 nights. Total 981 197 1,178 Visiting Japan for the first time, the *Invitees from Colombia were administered as a program directly under JST. participating students encountered advanced science and technology that Breakdown of number of invitees by region fully engaged their curiosity, before they 20 (number of individuals) returned to their home countries. In a 48 post-participation questionnaire, about East Asia 90% of the high school students 59 Southeast Asia responded that they hope to return to Southwest Asia Japan, creating expectations that the 415 Central Asia students will act as bridges between their Island nations countries and Japan in the future. 283 Other * In addition to the 35 countries and regions, 16 high school students and 4 leaders were invited from Columbia on a trial basis. 353 02 SAKURA Science High School Program Activity Report Schedule Group 1 Date Details Sunday, April 9 – Saturday, April 15, 2017 April 9 (Sun) Arrival in Japan; orientation Visit to Chiba Prefectural Kisarazu High School (School tour and interaction Students Supervisors Total April 10 (Mon) with students); Special lecture by Nobel laureate Ryoji Noyori Indonesia 50 10 60 April 11 (Tue) Visit to JAMSTEC Yokosuka Headquarters and tour of Kamakura Thailand 40 8 48 Visits to universities Bangladesh 20 3 23 April 12 (Wed) Team A (Indonesia, Bangladesh): Visit to Chiba University Team B (Thailand): Visit to Yokohama National University 131 Total persons Tour of National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Lecture by April 13 (Thu) Director Mamoru Mohri and tour of museum) Tour of Akihabara Visits to universities April 14 (Fri) Team A: University of Tsukuba; Team B: Tokyo Metropolitan University Closing ceremony and farewell ceremony April 15 (Sat) Departure from Japan Activity reports April 10 Visit to Chiba Prefectural Kisarazu High April 10 Special class by Professor Ryoji Noyori School After the exchange event at Kisarazu High School, a special At lunchtime, students talked about subjects including their countries’ cultures. In the afternoon, the school’s clubs class was taught by Ryoji Noyori, recipient of the Nobel introduced their activities in nine booths set up in the Prize in Chemistry in 2001. Professor Noyori gave an easy- gymnasium. The Japanese Music Club performed Sakura to-understand talk on topics ranging from what sparked his Sakura on the koto, after which the high school students interest in chemistry to the research theme that led to his from Asia also tried playing the instrument. At the Shodo receipt of the Nobel Prize. The future scientists appeared to Club booth, students from Asia holding a brush for the first be greatly encouraged by his talk. time made an earnest go at writing characters. High school students from Asia learning to write "yume (dream)" Professor Noyori speaking to students April 12 Visit to Yokohama National University April 14 Visit to University of Tsukuba (Team A) After walking around the campus in all its fresh greenery, Current students from Indonesia provided an overview of participants talked with international students, freely the University. The participants listened intently to exchanging information on campus life and the study explanations of the University’s founding as a Japan’s first abroad system. Following this, participants listened to a special lecture by Professor Fumihiko Nakamura, an expert higher education institution, as well as the University’s on urban traffic. The high school students had considerable cybernics research (known for its development of the interest in urban traffic conditions, an issue faced by world’s first robotic suit, HAL), research into sleep medicine, countries in Asia. and other world-class, state-of-the-art technologies. Special lecture by Professor Nakamura High school students listening attentively SAKURA Science High School Program Activity Report 03 Schedule Group 2 Date Details Sunday, April 16 – Saturday, April 22, 2017 April 16 (Sun) Arrival in Japan; orientation April 17 (Mon) Tour of JAMSTEC Yokosuka Headquarters and Kamakura Students Supervisors Total Visit to Nagoya Municipal Koyo Senior High School, interaction with students, April 18 (Tue) India 66 15 81 and interaction with Professor Toshihide Maskawa Vietnam 30 6 36 Tour of Shizuoka University Visits to Shizuoka companies 117 April 19 (Wed) Total persons Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Tour of National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Lecture by April 20 (Thu) Director Mamoru Mohri and tour of museum) and tour of Asakusa Visit to the University of Tokyo April 21 (Fri) Closing ceremony and farewell ceremony April 22 (Sat) Departure from Japan Activity reports April 18 Interaction with Professor Toshihide April 19 Visit to Shizuoka University Maskawa Orientation featured an introduction to the Shizuoka The students met Professor Toshihide Maskawa, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008, at the professor’s alma University Asia Bridge Program (ABP). The university mater, Nagoya Municipal Koyo Senior High School. Professor operates this program in cooperation with companies and Maskawa encouraged the students by saying, “I loved organizations in the prefecture that are expanding overseas, physics with all my heart, and was able to concentrate on to develop human resources who will play an active role in studying for any number of hours at a time. Please find the the future. Among the attentive listeners in the orientation thing that you love, and engage in it passionately.″ were many high school students who are considering study in Japan. Professor Toshihide Maskawa, inspiring the high school students from Asia Shizuppi, the mascot of Shizuoka University, was very popular April 19 Visits to Shizuoka companies April 21 Visit to the University of Tokyo In the afternoon, the students split into three groups for At the University of Tokyo Hongo Campus, the students first visits to Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Yamaha Motor Co., received an introduction to the School of Science, then split up into 10 groups for laboratory tours. Exhibiting deep Ltd., and Suzuki Motor Corporation. At Suzuki, students interest, the students visited research sites that are tackling learned about the company’s history of manufacturing at cutting-edge themes in the fields of physics and chemistry. Suzuki Plaza. In the company’s 3D theater, they experienced Although high school students, the visitors surprised the realistic three-dimensional video of automobile production receiving researchers with their proper understanding of processes. the explanations given in the laboratories. Students in 3D glasses enjoy the video Visit to a laboratory 04 SAKURA Science High School Program Activity Report Schedule Group 3 Date Details May 14 (Sun) Arrival in Japan; orientation Sunday, May 14 – Saturday, May 20, 2017 Team A (Philippines, Malaysia): Visit to Shibaura Institute of Technology; experiment lab of Professor Hideki Shirakawa Students Supervisors Total Team B (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,